March 16th, 2009

Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction. Today I bring you three stories of strange shoe news. I hope these shoe oddities break up the monotony of the gray, wintry days we’ve been having in the Northwest.

1. A Basketball Star who LOVES Shoes. University of Louisville star forward Terrence Williams loves shoes almost as much as world-famous shoe collector Imelda Marcos. Spare room in Williams’ dorm room is filled from ceiling to floor with tennis shoes. One side is reserved for Nikes, and the other for Adidas. Ironically, Williams says he’s only worn about 82 of his 410 pairs of shoes. “If they are at the bottom, I’m not going to play Jenga and pull them out,” Williams said. “I wear the same shoes over and over.”

2. Peeping Tom uses shoes to spy on women. A man from Neptune Beach, Florida is serving four months of prison after using his shoes in an unusual peeping Tom scheme. Assistant police chief Tony Carrillo says the man had attached a camera to the tongue of his shoe. He would slide his shoe under dressing room doors to see women as they tried on clothes. “He cut about a 2-inch hole to put a camera in,” Carrillo said. “It is unusual. It’s the only one that I know of around.”

3. Shoe-Thrower Gets Three Years in Prison. Muntadhar al-Zaidi,who threw his shoes at President Bush a couple of month ago, was recently sentenced to three years in prison for his act. Zaidi’s defense attorneys promised to appeal what they considered a harsh sentence. Regardless of how long Zaidi stays in jail, he shouldn’t feel too lonely– after all, 62% of Iraqis consider him a “national hero,” according to a poll conducted for ABC and the BBC.

Strange shoe news aside, Shoeflyer will be keeping shoe lovers on their toes as we unveil new Shoeflyer spring shoe selections. Today, I’m featuring the Anna Wedge by Charles David, which will soon be available through Shoefly.com. Not only is this shoe “in” right now (wedges are an easy way to find the sort of height that current trends demand), its classic design means you’ll be able to wear it for years to come. Shown above, the Anna wedge offers comfy elastic straps that won’t pinch your skin. Keep your eyes peeled for this and other new Spring shoes at Shoefly.com.